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Royal Life: Queen Elizabeth II through the years

May 1933

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, then Princess Elizabeth, is introduced by her mother Elizabeth, the Duchess of York, to disabled soldiers at an exhibition of their work in London, May 16, 1933. The Queen will celebrate her 80th birthday on April 21, 2006

Credit: AP Photo

May 1935

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, then Princess Elizabeth, center, waves as she stands on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in London with her grandparents King George V and Queen Mary, May 6, 1935. Her sister, Princess Margaret, is just visible over the balcony edge.

Credit: AP Photo

June 1938

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, then Princess Elizabeth, and her companion Shaun Plunket take the penguins for a walk at London Zoo, June 30, 1938.

Credit: AP Photo

August 1943

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, then Princess Elizabeth, right, and her sister, Princess Margaret, in their Girl Guide uniforms, practice their bandaging skills in this August 1943 photo. Princess Elizabeth is wearing the badge of the swallow patrol and two white stripes, which indicates that she is patrol leader.

Credit: AP Photo

August 1946

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, then Princess Elizabeth, right, enjoys a joke with her father, King George VI, in the grounds of the Royal Lodge, Windsor, England, Aug. 20, 1946.

Credit: AP Photo

April 1947

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, then Princess Elizabeth, sits in Natal National Park, South Africa, on her 21st birthday, April 21, 1947. In the background are the Drakenberg Mountains.

Credit: CBS

November 1947

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, then Princess Elizabeth, and her husband Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, wave to the crowd from the balcony of Buckingham Palace, London, after their wedding on Nov. 20, 1947. From left to right, King George VI, Princess Margaret, Lady Mary Cambridge, the bride and bridegroom, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary.

Credit: AP Photo

August 1949

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, then Princess Elizabeth, wears a silver gown with a diamond tiara and pearl necklace in this photo taken on Aug. 30, 1949.

Credit: AP Photo

February 1952

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, left, stands with her grandmother, Queen Mary, center, and her mother, Queen Elizabeth, at the entrance to London's Westminster Hall as her father's coffin arrives to lie in state on Feb. 11, 1952.

August 1951

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, then Princess Elizabeth, stands with her husband Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, and their children, Prince Charles and Princess Anne, at Clarence House, the royal couple's London residence, in August 1951.

Credit: AP Photo

June 1953

Britain's Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, kneeling, places his hands between those of his wife, Queen Elizabeth II, as he swears homage, during her coronation ceremony in Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953.

Credit: AP Photo

June 1953

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, wearing the Imperial Crown, carries the symbols of authority, the orb and the sceptre, as she leaves Westminster Abbey on June 2,1953, at the end of her coronation ceremony.

Credit: AP Photo

April 1953

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, center, laughs with the Duke of Gloucester, left, while Princess Margaret smokes a cigarette in a long holder, behind, as they watch the Olympic horse trials at Badminton, Gloucestershire, on April 23, 1953.

Credit: AP Photo

January 1961

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II addresses a vast gathering of more than 250,000 people at the Ramlila Grounds, a huge public meeting place, outside the walls of Old Delhi, India, on Jan. 28, 1961.

Credit: AP Photo / Alexander Chadwick

April 1966

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II is seen during the State Opening of Parliament in London in April 1966.

Credit: CBS

June 1977

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II receives congratulations from well-wishers during a brief walkabout in London on June 7, 1977.

Credit: AP Photo/Pool

June 1982

U.S. President Ronald Reagan, left, on Centennial, and Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, on Burmese, go horseback riding on the grounds of Windsor Castle, England, on June 8, 1982.

Credit: AP Photo/Bob Daugherty

June 1986

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II rides her horse Burmese for the final time in June 1986, during the Trooping of the Colour in London.

Credit: AP Photo

October 1986

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II walks where few other visitors are allowed, among the famed terracotta warriors in Xian, China, on Oct. 16, 1986.

Credit: AP Photo/Peter Bregg

August 1997

Britain's Queen Elizabeth -- the Queen Mother -- with her daughters, The Queen (in blue) and Princess Margaret (left) and Prince Harry (youngest son of Diana Princess of Wales) on right with other members of the Royal family. They watch an honor guard Aug. 4, 1997. in London.

Credit: ADRIAN DENNIS/Getty Images

September 1997

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Duke of Edinburgh, arrive Sept. 5, 1997 at Saint James's Palace in London to pay their respects to Prince Diana in the Chapel Royal on the eve of the Princess of Wales' funeral. Diana died in a car accident in Paris, on Aug. 31, 1997.

Credit: THOMAS COEX/Getty

June 2002

Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain waves from the Gold State Coach during Golden Jubilee procession, London, June 4, 2002.

Credit: AP

June 2002

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh wave to the crowds as they arrive for the Golden Jubilee Parade in Windsor June 3, 2002. The Queen celebrated her 50th year on the throne, and the third day's festivities culminated in a pop concert staged in the gardens of Buckingham Palace.

Credit: Reuters

November 2003

U.S. President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush stand with Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, for an official photo in the Music Room before the start of the State Banquet at Buckingham Palace in London on Nov. 19, 2003.

Credit: AP

July 2004

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II talks to Earl Spencer, the brother of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, at the opening of a fountain built in memory of the princess in London's Hyde Park, on July 6, 2004.

Credit: AP

April 2005

Prince Charles looks back at his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, as Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, holds her hat following a prayer service at Windsor Castle after their earlier civil wedding that the queen did not attend.

Credit: AP

June 2005

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II accompanied by her husband Prince Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh, arrives to inspect the troops at London's Horse Guards before the annual Trooping the Colour parade marking her official birthday, June 11, 2005.

Credit: AP

April 2006

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II sits in the Regency Room at Buckingham Palace in London on April 19, 2006, as she looks at some of the cards which have been sent to her for her 80th birthday, which she celebrated two days later.

Credit: AP Photo/Fiona Hanson

April 2006

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II meets wellwishers during a walkabout in Windsor, England, April 21, 2006, as she celebrates her 80th birthday.

Credit: AP Photo/Sang Tan

November 2006

Britain's Queen Elizabeth meets actor Daniel Craig of the James Bond franchise during the world premiere of the latest James Bond movie "Casino Royale" at the Odeon cinema in Leicester Square in London, Nov. 14, 2006.

Credit: AP Photo/Stephen Hird, Pool

April 2007

Queen Elizabeth ll receives a bouquet of flowers during a walkabout outside Manchester Cathedral following the traditional Royal Maundy Service on April 5, 2007, in Manchester, England.

Credit: Pool/Anwar Hussein Collection/Getty

March 2008

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II arrives to open the $8.6 billion new Terminal 5 at London Heathrow Airport, March 14, 2008.

Credit: AP Photo/PA

April 2009

President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, pose with Britain's Queen Elizabeth II during an audience at Buckingham Palace in London, April 1, 2009.

Credit: AP Photo/John Stillwell

June 2009

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip arrive by carriage in the parade ring, on the second day of the Royal Ascot horse racing meeting at Ascot near Windsor, England, June, 17, 2009. A leading event in the English social calendar, which is attended by all the major figures of Britain's royal family, has been run since the first race in 1711, in which there were seven competitors.

Credit: AP Photo/Alastair Grant

April 2011

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, attend the Royal Wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton (now Kate, Duchess of Cambridge) on April 29, 2011, in London.

Credit: Getty Images

May 2011

A spectator reaches out to greet Britain's Queen Elizabeth II after she visited the English Market in Cork, Ireland, May 20, 2011, on the fourth and final day of her first-ever state visit to Ireland.

Credit: AP Photo

June 2011

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh wave from the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the Trooping the Colour parade on June 11, 2011, in London. The ceremony of Trooping the Colour is believed to have first been performed during the reign of King Charles II.

Credit: Dan Kitwood/Getty

July 2011

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II walks with Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge as they view the exhibitions for the summer opening of Buckingham Palace on July 22, 2011, in London, England.

Credit: Getty Images

October 2011

Queen Elizabeth II accepts flowers from people crowding the banks for the Brisbane River after a river cruise in Brisbane, Australia, Oct. 24, 2011. The queen was on her first visit to Australia since 2006.

Credit: AP Photo/Jodie Richter

December 2011

Queen Elizabeth II stands in the 1844 Room of Buckingham Palace in London after recording her Christmas Day television broadcast to the Commonwealth on Dec. 9, 2011.

Credit: JOHN STILLWELL

February 2012

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, waves to wellwishers during a visit to Kings Lynn Town Hall in eastern England Feb. 6, 2012. It has been 60 years to the day since Britain was shocked by the bulletins: "The King is dead; long live the Queen!" -- eight words encapsulated both the news on Feb. 6, 1952, and the British doctrine of monarchy.